Electric indicator for mail-boxes.



M. HAMMONS.

-ELECTRIC INDICATOR FOR MML BOXES. APFLICATION FILED FEB. 20. |9I4 RENEWED NOV. 16. 1915.

Patented June 13, 1916.

. r 2 SHEETS W I H I I F THE ccLUMB PLANGORAPH ca. wHINGTDN n c M. HAMMONS. ELECTBIC INDICATOR FOR MAIL BOXES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. l9l4`REN EWED NOV. 16.1915.

1,186,772. Patented June 13, 1916.

2 HEETS-SHEET 2.

rron

MARK I-IAMMONS, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC INIDIGATOR' FOR MAIL-BOXES.

mesme.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1916 Application filed February 20, 1914, Serial No. 8204327. Renewed November 16, 1915. Serial No. 61,859.

To all whom z't may concern: e

Be it known that I, MARK HAMMoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laporte, in the County of Laporte, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric :Indicators 'or Mail-Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric indicators for mail boxes and other receptacles.

Although my invention can be applied in a great many different ways and used for numerous purposes, it is particularly adapted and applicable for use in connection with the usual apartment house mail box, generally installed in the hall on the first floor, by connecting it with an electric annunciator system having a push button locatedn an apartment so that, for instance, if a tenant occupies an apartment on 'one of the upper fioors of an apartment house and does not care to go down to'the mail box, because he is too tired, sick, is an invalid or for any other reason, he can satisfy himself whether there is any mail in the box by simply pushing or Operating a'push button placed in his apartment and yet when the mail man deposits a letter or other article in the box he can, as usual, push' the button on the mail box and it will ring a bell in the apartment and announce or indicate the fact.

It has for its object to provide a mail box With an electric annunciator system containing a magnet, bell, battery, contact levers, contact buttons, push buttons and the required wiring, to complete the necessary circuits, by which when a letter, newspaper or other article is placed in the mail box and the proper push button is operated it will not ring a bell, but when the box is empty and the button is operated it will ring the bell.

It further has for its object to'provide a mail box with an electric annunciator system which will indicate by the operation of a push button, connected with `said system, whether there is any mail inthebox.

It further has for its object to provide a mail box, in an apartment house, with an electric bellannunciator system having a push button on the mail box and a push button in the apartment, said push buttons being separate from each other and capable of being operated separately, that is to say When the push button on the mail box is operated by the mail man it will ring the bell in the apartment, but will not affect the circuit in which the other push button is located and when the other push button, located in the apartment, is operated 'it will not aftect the circuit of the push button on the mail box.

It further has for its object to provide an electric indicator for mail boxes which is simple, inexpensive and durable in construction and easy and effective in operation.

It further has for its object to provide an electric indicator system for mail boxes which is so compact that it will not materially afi'ect the holding capacity of the mail box( It further has for its object to provide a mail box with an electric bell annunciator system having a circuit adapted to be interrupted or kept open by intervention of a letter, or other article, deposited in the said mail box.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a mail box with my invention applied thereto, ready for useJFig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line x-w of Fig. 1 looking toward the rear of the* mail box.

In the drawings in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout the several views, 1 represents a mail box, which may be made of metal or any' other material desired, provided with the usual letter slot 2 hinged fiap 3 and door 4. Two magnets 5 and 6 are employed, or provided, mounted on a frame'? Secured to the rear wall 8 of the mail box by means of a nut and bolt 9, said frame having a lateral extension 10, at the top, which is provided with an upwardly extending arm 11. A steel magnet levera12 is pivoted at 12 to the forward end 'of the lateral extension 10 and a lever 13, made of brass or other non-magnetic material, is pivoted at 14 to the upwardly extending arm 11 and is designed to be operated to make and break contact with an electric contact plate or button 15.` A bell 16, or a buzze'r, may be used if desired, and a push button 17 are located in the apartment and a push button 18 is located on the mail' box, or other convenient place desired. l

17 a is a letter which has been deposited in the mail boxand 17 a newspaper. V

I employ three circuits as follows: First,

the circuit which energizes the'magnet, by

the pushin'g of the button 17 {which comprises a battery 18 ,or other similar device, a wire 19 which connects with 'the magnet 5,' a wire 20 connecting the magnet 5 with the magnet 6, a wire 21 connecting magnet.

6 with push button 2 and a wire 22 which i connects push button 17 with the battery IS i Second, the circuit, Operating in connection with circuit one, which rings the bell16 when the lever 13 contacts with the contact plate or button 15 and the push button 17 is operated, which consists of a wire 23, which is connected to a contact disk or button 15, a wire 24 which connects with the bell 16, a wire 25 which connects'bell with the battery 18% wire 19 which connects with the wire 26, which in turn is connected to i i the lateral extension 10 of the magnet frame,

and levers 12 and 13.` Third, the circuit,

` operated by the push button 18, which connects the push button 18 with the bell' 16, and battery 18 which consists, of battery 18, wire 27, to push button 18, wire '24 conv necting the push button to the bell and wire 25 fromthe bell to the battery 18 The operation is as follows: The magnets are energized by operatingthe ;push button 17, which 'closes circut number one and causes the magnet 12 to swing the lower end of lever 13 forward and if there is any letter or other mail in the box said lever will not contact' with the contact plate or button 15, on account of the intervention of 'the letter, and consequently the circuit will i not be completed, and the bell will failto' ring, but' should the `mail box be empty the lever 13 will make electrical contact with the contact plate or button 15, andcomplete or close the" circuit number 2, and the 'current will flow *from the battery 18 through wire 19 to the magnets and back to push button 17 by means of wire 21 and also from wire19 to wire 26, to .extension 10 of the magnet iram, through levers 12 and 13 to contact plate or button 15 and' then flow by. means of wires 23 and 24 to the bell and from the bell-by means of wire' 25 to the batteryf In the third circuit by which the I 'bell is caused to ring by Operating thepush 'button 18, especially designed for the use of the mail man, the current flows from the battery through wire 27 to push button 18 and :Eromthence to the bell through wire 2 1 and from the bell 'back to 'the battery by means of wire 25. In the case of a news paper, magazine, 'or other article too large tobe wholly contained in the'box,` it can be copies ot this patent may be obtaind for in the presence of inserted in the letter slot and will prevent the lever 13 from Operating and therefore the bell will not ring when push button 17 is operated.

I do not wish to be understood as limting myself to the specific' details of Construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of Construction .and arrangement, in:

the adaptation of the' device to various conditions of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention andimprovements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and'the terms of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric indicator system for mail boxes, an electric annunciator system connected with a mail boxand having a normally open crcut, an electromagnet n said circuit, a circuit Closer forsaid circuit operated by said electromagnet, ;a controlling device for Operating' said electromagnetic circuit closer, the latter having its terminals so arranged with'reference to the box that the circuit is maintained open by an article deposited in .the box, substantially as, described. i i e 2. In an electricindicato'r` system formail boxes, an electric annunciator system' connected with a mail box 'and having ,a normally open circuit, a circuit closer forsaid circuit, a controllingdevice'for Operating said circuit Closer, the latter having its ternnals so arranged wth ;reference to the box that the circuit is' maintained open by" the' article deposited in the box, a branch;

circuit including the annunciator and 'a switch adapted to be operatedby the party depositing mail, substantially as described., '3. In an electric indlcator for mail boxes, an electric annunciator system connected wth a mail box and having a push button, and an electric contact point and 

